Sunday, November 29, 2009

can we rewind to wednesday and begin this vacation all over again? i'm not ready to return to reality, at least not a reality beyond board games, baby toys, wood burning stoves and afternoon naps.

it's been a fine stretch of days, eating, eating, relaxing, eating, going on some drives, eating, checking out some live music, and eating. oh, and holding these sweet little dimpled hands.

the only black friday shopping i did was online. saturday i briefly visited the downtown artisan market, and later took a pleasant drive to the greenwood country store, a favorite haven of antiques, kitsch and useful items.

this morning we were en route to the green valley bookfair for our annual visit when we had a blow out on the highway. the car suddenly swerved this way and that several times, and i managed to pull off, thinking i had hit some unusual cross winds. i pulled back onto the highway and felt like i was driving on jello, so pulled off again immediately.

we had a flat.

we had no spare tire, because i had a flat not more than a couple weeks ago, and we hadn't yet replaced that spare. so the tow truck was called and tashi and i scrambled up the steep highway embankment to retreat with the baby to a quiet country road. we ended up in an idyllic setting of cow pastures, hay bales and horses, the sun streaming through groves of trees, as we waited for uncle tom to come rescue us while dan dealt with the car.

it was an unusual ending to our holiday, to say the least.

i feel extremely lucky that we didn't get into an accident, as there was an abundance of fast moving holiday traffic on the highway. i have to admit that sitting in the pasture was incredibly relaxing, nothing but my kids, myself, mother nature and a container of scones to keep us occupied. it was an absolutely stunning day and i felt the beautiful countryside cradled us in safety. i'm sure my attitude would have been completely different if it hadn't been a sunny day of high 60's.

i didn't have the camera with me to capture our magical spell of being stranded. but here is a shot of tashi with some large fungus growing on a dead tree in our yard.

Friday, November 27, 2009

now that the feasting and indulgence has passed (well, not really, as we have left overs galore!), i find myself thinking about what i am grateful for.

there are so many people and things, that this could turn into a very long post if i mentioned them all. for now, i will mention the people i see each and every day. my life would be nothing without them.

i am grateful for the miracle of our baby boy, who joined us in march after several years of trying and dreaming and crying and hoping for another child. i am so very grateful he is here, and for the joy he brings us every single day with his smile, his laughter, his developing language, his delicious cheeks, his intelligent eyes and his very gentle touch.

and i am certainly equally grateful for our amazing daughter, who has taught me so many things about being a parent, a human and a friend! looking at tristan, i am constantly reminded of tashi's baby days, the magic of being a new mom to such a delightful girl. she has graced our lives with laughter, song, a unique vision, boundless creativity, kindness, sensitivity and heaps of love. my heart is so full with her, that it is hard to believe there could be room for anyone else. but indeed, hearts are flexible this way!

these children wouldn't be who they are without my husband, dan, who every day graces my life with his kindness, his intelligence, his hard work, his patience, his support, his beauty and his loving heart. i never, ever thought i would be so lucky. words are not enough to express. . . thank you dan, for being who you are.

and there are our two cats, who are a perfect example of unconditional love. they make us laugh, and sometimes they make us growl. but they are a presence i can't imagine our lives without.

i am of course grateful for my parents, my friends, my in-laws, and for many friends near and far. i am grateful for this lovely home, for the farm animals and the wild animals, for books, computers, birds, good food & good music! yes, the list could go on and on, but it wouldn't be thanksgiving without at least this mentioning of how grateful i am for this very life that i live.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

do pictures i've taken of someone else's pictures of me count as self portraits? today they are going to have to!

it's been a rather unusual day, beginning with a camera man from channel 19 coming to my house to interview me about my blog, and culminating with two clips on the news. when i started keeping this blog five years ago, i never really thought anyone would take notice. and so i feel truly honored.

but if you've come here to read about "exotic travel," i'm afraid you won't find much more than stories about walks in my neighborhood! it's been almost two years since we last visited cyprus. and the only bits i've featured about my year in india (which took place almost a decade ago) are excerpts from my unpublished manuscript. but if you care to read about either experience, you will find links on my sidebar.

as for homemade monday, i'm not sure how much i'll be able to share as the holidays approach. but here is a little preview of something i'm working on now.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

yesterday i was at the thrift store and spotted a piece of art that i was drawn to. i looked at it and looked at it again. when i looked more closely, i realized the frame was a mess. if i purchased it, would i ever actually reframe it? i have things right now that have been sitting around for years, unframed. beautiful things. but framing is always on the back burner for me. just not a priority as far as expense goes.

so i walked away from the funky piece.

but i thought about it and thought about it again.

so today i went back and bought it. and i hung it on my wall, despite the gacked frame and the water stained matte.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

we've been reading to tristan since he was a newborn. one of the first books that he responded to with great interest was charley harper's abc's. another book that grabs his attention is down by the station, featuring everyone's favorite baby animals. a recent favorite is little gorilla. he goes absolutely ape for it. ahem.

in the above photo we are captured reading, peek-a who?, which provides the opportunity to peek at oneself, a favorite activity for our little man. yes, this is how we often spend our time. baby on my lap with a book in front of us.

and there are the old classics, books that tashi loved and now tristan is equally enamored with:

he studies the photos attentively, reaches out and runs his fingers along them, and occasionally tries to have a taste. he smiles wide, kicks his feet and coos. there is little that is more pleasing than a baby who already has a deep respect for books.

Monday, November 16, 2009

i guess i have a few things to share aside from the homemade mess i live in (can you say cobwebs, clutter and cave crickets ten times, fast?).

first of all, check out this darling knit set my mom made for the baby boy. chunky, soft and very fashionable. thanks mom! tristan looks quite handsome in knits, if i must say so myself. he is, however, sleeping through his modeling gig.

as for my projects at a snail's pace, i made another block. i think it might be even less cubular than the last.

i am managing a couple of stitches a week on this onesie. i'm working on it so little that the tiki guy has pretty much lost his novelty. i will complete it, i will.